Cryotherapy and its applications in the management of urologic malignancies: a review of its use in prostate and renal cancers

Abstract

Cryotherapy has been established as an ablative modality for the treatment of a wide range of malignancies. Being minimally invasive, it is associated with less morbidity than conventional extirpative surgical procedures. In recent years, it has been used with success for treating two of the common urologic malignancies, that is, prostate and renal cancer. In this review, we highlight the role of cryotherapy as a treatment modality, the proposed destructive mechanisms of action and the risks of its use in the management of prostate and renal malignancy.

Keywords: Cryoprobes; Cryotherapy; Prostate cancer; Small renal masses.